The Sugar Bar

Picture from The Malthouse

Last weekend, I was in Shrewsbury visiting a friend and by the end of my visit, it had me purring like a cat (I’ll get to why I was purring later). When it comes to visiting friends I’ve not seen for a while or going countryside, there’s only two words on my mind. And that is: pub food. Somehow my brain immediately identifies the country with - not just the calming and beautiful landscape - pub grub. It doesn’t help that I probably think about food more than sex or shoes or clothes in the day. My whole nom nom obsession is simply exacerbated.

On the Saturday, we visited the first iron made structure ever constructed - the Ironbridge. The weather wasn’t too bad in the day but by the time we’d got there after a thorough walkabout through the Victorian town Blists Hill, the sky was just miserable. It was grey, it was freezing cold, the winds were so strong it was a real challenge to walk in a straight line and the rain was all pissy and furry - the type that was so thin and fine it soaked right through to your bones I bet. You couldn’t escape this sort of rain or you could die trying, really. Thankfully we had a bit of relief from the rain when we stopped at this lovely, comforting pub for lunch. It was one that appeared most welcoming to us (also because our car was parked very conveniently in their driveway) and called The Malthouse, beckoning us with these luscious, seductive interiors.

If you’ve seen the first picture, you’ve probably already gotten a general idea of what this was like and why I say it provided us our much sought-after escape from the outside icky weather. Think lush interiors, like really lush, bordering on decadent. Velvety surroundings and a boudoir-ish ambience, Victorian style furniture with animal print or flocked upholstery and lots of red candles and carpeting. Sounds tacky and a bit cheap? On a sunny day when I’m happy, dry and well-fed I might think just that. When I’m a sodding drowned rat, shoulders aching from hunching against the wind and ankles so cold they’d literally failed the rest of my body and stiffened into ice blocks, I think this was like coming home to a warm hearth and a plate of hot food after a long trek in the woods. The Malthouse was seriously like the light at the end of the tunnel for us. And I was nearly moved to tears when they sat us down at our table, all friendly and smiley and attentive to their windswept customers who’d arrived before the dinner crowd.

Like a cat, perfectly comfy in her skin, and luxuriously stretching its limbs, I did a nice big stretch after chucking aside my wet brolly and removing my coat still icy from the wind. Then, I took another look around and I think my face just lit up and glowed from being warm and dry and sat down. I was utterly comforted by the fact that we were about to be fed. And I simply couldn’t help being appreciative of the quirky bits in this pub house like, the day’s menu written on long panels of chalkboard, pictures of hearts framed and stuck on the walls and oh, this bit I thought was so cool - black chandeliers with opaque black beads dangling very sexily from the bulbs. I know I know…that’s not to everyone taste and it’s so flashy contemporary it kind of hurts your eyeballs. But I could have just thrown myself into the interiors, sinking into it like a waterbed with a sort of post-erh-hum satisfaction, so sue me.

Smoked Salmon Baguette

If I’ve made you quite jealous of our experience, then I’ve been quite successful. If I haven’t, don’t worry I won’t try again. Instead, I’ll change my tactic and move on to Plan B. The food.

Chicken & Onion Rings Stacked Burger & Chips

S’s mum had a nice smoked salmon baguette and the rest of us ordered some hot food - dramatic pause here - some hot proper pub food. It was real nice to see the menu being separated out into starters, pub food, mains, soups, salads, desserts (I think that was how it was for the last 3). What I’m trying to stress is the separate category the humble pub fare was given and that really brought a smile to us. I think we all privately reminisced the cheap student pub food from our undergrad years (which ended only just last year) and anyway, I think everyone has a special place in their heart and stomach for the simple yet very much loved pub grub. We’ve all had good pub food, and bad pub food. Even if at that point of time it was a real torture to swallow that plate of pure grease and cheap butter, I can only say that general entity known as ‘pub food’ is always quite fondly thought of. Of course there wasn’t much to worry about here because the food was excellent!

Bangers and Mash

My food was the last to arrive. Although the last, it was definitely not the least by miles! The picture of it might explain why. It was huge! The portion of chips was generous and the battered fish about the length of my forearm. My lunch partners were a little worried and all ready to ask for doggy bag to take home the leftovers.

Fish and Chips

I think my reaction to that was a big ‘errr…there’s no need’. I ate it all. It didn’t defeat me.

Am I disgusting or just a real trooper with a bottomless pit for a stomach? The fish was fab and so fresh. And thankfully it wasn’t just all made up of batter. The chips were nicely seasoned and real yum with a good bite to it. I quite dislike mushy peas. I think the look of it and the texture just puts me off completely so I never ask for it. If it’s on my plate, I push it away as far from my chips and fish as possible (and I really ain’t that kind of fussy eater. Just mushy peas, paté and black pudding I can’t stand). I don’t know if it was the red candle induced happiness or boudoir ambience that had gone to my head, I ate mushy peas.

Yes I really did. And I liked it. I normally don’t. But this one was good. And it had whole peas in it too. Maybe that’s what made it worked. I didn’t have it all, thank goodness. But I had some. And that’s progress. The Malthouse was a real success and I take the mushy peas as proof of that.

Even though the rain had let up and we were getting sleepy from being so well-fed, we were sad to leave and drive away from Ironbridge. Good times though. Great weekend.

The Malthouse
The Wharfage
Ironbridge
Shropshire
TF8 7NH
Bar-Lounge-Rooms-Live Music
Tel.: 01952 433712

The Sugar Bar is my baby and the cellulite of my life. I can’t get rid of it no matter how hard I try. Can’t stop loving or working at it either. I’d feel completely lost without it. Blogging’s become such second nature, it’s almost impossible to recall what I used to do to past the time before I started foodblogging in 2005. And that was just one of the things us Tea Ladies, Mowie from Mowielicious and Su-Yin from Bread et Butter, discussed at our Ottolenghi lunch last Sunday.

We spent a sleepy morning queueing for a table at the Islington branch and whilst it was rather a long wait, we were given sustenance to make the wait less torturous in the form of cheesey breadsticks. Why torturous? Torturous because Ottolenghi’s yummy fare was within ridiculously close range. Torturous because you couldn’t just sneak a bit of bread (even if you were the best fingersmith of East London) when we standing next to it. Torturous because we were starving and no one (not a single one of them satisfied customers bums stuck firmly to their chairs) was getting up to leave…just yet. (Word of advice: be prepared to queue. It just kept going from 12 all til 3ish pm)

However, that all went and we were ushered to a table. I really like Ottolenghi’s service. Of course, they’ve got some stone-faced matron types but their staff’s generally really friendly and amicable. And they aren’t afraid to chat to you and take part in a bit of banter. Always a plus to any café/restaurant. A fair amount of time passed in complete silence - the food voyeurs were weighing up the menu. And we thought it good. I haven’t got any pictures for you of our lunch but let’s say we were thoroughly impressed with the simplicity but complexity of flavours in every salad choice and every main course choice.

You’ve got to go check it out for yourself and then you’ll understand the magic of Ottolenghi.

Our lunch went too quickly for our happy stomachs but oh, within seconds after sitting down you could tell us Tea Ladies were completely hooked. If Ottolenghi wasn’t going to reel us in, we’d go to it. Got us completely dancing to their mesmerising tune. Mowie was an Ottolenghi virgin but oh no more. And to discover the joys of dessert take-away! Faced with such an array of beauties, it’s always a real problem trying to choose what to get and when to stop. I managed to stop at two, but only because I was quite satiated from a Bailey’s Chocolate Cake post-lunch. Didn’t manage to get a picture of that either but it was a beaute! A super beaute in fact, coming in close second to my all-time love Lemon, Pistachio & Polenta cake. On my next trip, I will make sure I get a picture of it for you lot! A must-try.

It was a sweet Sunday and other than the little bits of sugar gold I had in a bleached white paperbag, I had a couple of pictures of my beautiful Tea Ladies furiously snapping their cameras away outside Ottolenghi. Absolutely love it! There’s no other human species quite like us foodbloggers. We’re a curious kind. Food voyeurs. Our regressive animalistic behaviour is incurable. And if we had the option of being permanently attached to our cameras (tourist-y camera strap or no), I’m sure we would. Our friends think we’re incorrigible and our inherent need to photograph food or talk about it 24/7 sometimes frustrating. But seriously, I bet they envy us. Look at us, anywhere we are, people stop and stare. Yea. Wanna know what they’re thinking? Probably something like, ‘Oh yea, check em out them cool kids. They’ve so got it.’ And don’t forget that some of us have some monstrous bling-bling big-bang type cameras. Now that’s gotta be totally sexy, no?

•••

White Chocolate and Cranberry Cheesecake Tart - I love tarts and part of that is to because I love the tart crust best. If the filling doesn’t interest me enough, I eat the crust on its own. If the fillings too delicious to ignore, I save the crust for last. Ottolenghi, as usual, gets it right with their desserts. The crust was delicious and not overly sweet. It was sensationally buttery. Right amount of crust, right amount of filling and I ate them both at the same time (of course I saved a little chunk of crust to savour at the very last moment). The white chocolate cheesecake in the middle was stupendously good. Unlike most cheesecakes, it didn’t leave me feeling a little too queasy, only just a little because I breathed the thing down my throat in about 10 seconds. That gives me reason to feel a little woozy. But it was  generally very light and the cranberry coulis on top was fab, cutting through the cheese and making me feel a little bit of Christmas (even though that’s just gone and done now sadly). A thumbs up to the crushed pistachio and dusting of icing sugar - definitely very Christmassy for those slightly post-holiday depressed. A great pick-me-up. Small, compared to other Ottolenghi treats, but power-packed.

Raspberry & Strawberry Financier - I thought this was very similar to the Lemon Blueberry & Almond Cake I tried some time ago. The texture is very similar and the taste of lemon really stands out. But of course, raspberry goes really well with lemon so I couldn’t fault how delicious this pairing was. Absolutely loved how the raspberries and lemon wasn’t too tart - the sugar glaze on top of the financier was beautiful to look at and definitely helped balance out the flavour. The dollop of whipped double cream on the top was quite perfect as well. Part of me wondered if they could’ve infused the cream with vanilla seeds but I finally decided it didn’t need that extra bit. It was simple and gorgeous at it was. A smooth, dense and flavoursome cake. Ottolenghi sure knows what they’re good at and they’re especially great with their lemony treats. This isn’t excluded, not at all.

Now all we’ve got left is to send Mowie on a mission to steal the recipes.

Jokes.

I am joking. Don’t panic, alright.

It’s time - time for making new year’s resolutions. I haven’t made any lists or any resolutions (officially) for a while now. If I had, they were just kinda a rough ideas formed -sorta- in my head, or a mish-mash of old and new resolutions, easily forgotten, easily dismembered into something else completely. Not much substance, not much thought given to it, not much of an effort really.

Now someone tell me that’s so lazy?

2009 was one of the best years. The middle of it marked the end of my (and a fairly successful one at that) undergrad life, witnessed the most amazing graduation and grad ball, a little romance, crazy Spain holiday, sophisticated Parisian trip, lots of sun and the best tan I’ve ever in my entire 22 years achieved, a little heartache, lots of eating and birthday fun, etc. So much happened, and oh blimey! Lady Gaga was born; so much was learnt I can barely attempt to describe what I got out of the year, the crazy antics that occurred, the jokes that were told, the food that was cooked.

Everyone’s a little more mature, or more mad, more enthusiastic, a little more on their way to achieving their goals. Although it’s sad to turn around and look at your past selves, the ghosts of you, I can safely say I regret none of the things that I’ve experienced or done. The years and the selves that make you YOU are all bits of you. 2010 may mean I shall look back to see a younger Diva fussing and fiddling about to find her way; and sometimes the past self is just a little bit unrecognizable or embarrassing to acknowledge. Nonetheless, I am accepting all the ghosts of me and taking them with me in the back of my mind and heart to welcome 2010.

And with that, here are just some things I noted down as reminder to myself ~ 9 resolutions. A bit much? Nah. They ain’t too tedious so they’re all a bit of fun anyway. What about you, any resolutions for the coming new year? I’m sure you’ve got some. Now don’t be lazy and whip out your list!

2010 Resolutions
1. Learn to start brushing my hair. Beach frizz, bedhead, volumatic poofs are great but surely it wouldn’t hurt me to have a little sleekness next year?

2. Make more of an effort -the motto for all things: with keeping in touch with old friends, with cooking, with work, with my writing, etc.

3. As much as the big city sometimes upsets me, attempt to get to know London a lot better. I’ll start by eating through this city of smoke (and also shopping through its great vintage finds). And oh yea, don’t forget to take my camera out with me even if it’s for a little stroll. It’s the new fashion statement, hung around your neck or held between two icy cold bare hands.

4. Look after my health and fight off dehydration. Water’s your best friend and your only friend sometimes.

5. Promote optimism - I’m not mad and even if I am, it’s a good mad - it’s creativity. She says.

6. This is totally cringe-worthy and virtually everyone I know, when asked to write a list of new year’s resolutions, bangs this one out. Time management. You just gotta say it. Every year I’m fighting against time as I take on more things to do, as I refine my goals and dreams, this bugger’s gonna be stuck to me and to my list for years to come.

7. Visit more food markets; actually, no. VISIT FOOD MARKETS. I haven’t done any of that ever since I moved to London. Too busy for fresh food shopping, too tired to cook anything fresh. It’s a horrid lifestyle. Totally gotta change that.

8. Shop smart for train tickets. Book in advance (way in advance if I can) or use megatrain to get regular Virgin train tickets for embarrassingly cheap tickets.

9. Get more involved in recyclable fashion and chuck less stuff out. I’m getting used to scoring at vintage shops, Oxfam and ripping and re-tying old things for a new look. It’s fun and stops my brain going belly-up from too much academia.

•••

Serious stuff done, let me share some food eye candy with you.

Napolean Tea & Caramel macaron, Moroccan Mint Tea macaron; Sakura Sakura! Tea, Jade Blossom Tea at TWG Salon, ION @ Singapore

The Christmas holiday was well spent and our Christmas roast (prepared, executed and served by moi with some help from the sisters; grocery shopping was team effort with Mum; turkey carving was left to Daddee) a true 2009 success, topping all our other roasts from previous years. I think when Mum’s eyes lit up from the moistness of the turkey, I achieved my first shining Mama-chelin star. So chuffed.

Unfortunately, not many photographs were taken this time round. My camera battery was low and wallybrain me had decided to leave it in my flat - who does that?! But it was glorious and there couldn’t have been a better way to spend Christmas family time. At TWG Tea Salon, we didn’t take much either as we were literally quivering with fear as we’d heard rumours about a no-photography policy. When we did gather our courage to whip out the cameras, no one stopped us. The waiting staff were pretty helpful, offering to take photos of us too which was great! Shame we didn’t get to document our tiers of cakes, patisseries, macarons and finger sandwiches. They were as beautiful as they tasted.

I admit that I was a bit of a hermit, staying in and working furiously like Silas Marner at my essays. I’ve yet to complete the last one which has been a pain in the ass for a real long time but I’m pressing on. Nonetheless, having work to do over the holiday (a real bummer) has taken up loads of my time to meet up with old friends for coffee/catch-ups. A shame I know but I did manage to squeeze a little tea session with the best girl at TWG Tea Salon, movie with the sisters and a lovely lunch with the family.

Mitsu Bay Scallops, Lotus, Chicken, Grated Radish, Shiso Leaves and an Ume Sauce at Ootoya

The weather’s been pretty mild here. I was a little worried about getting totally roasted to death but somehow, the weather’s been so good - cool, not as humid as expected, with a little sun and wind. Not that the weather makes any difference on my sugar/sweet/desserts cravings! And there’s evidence that these cravings were satisfied…

Going out without my camera felt a little odd but knowing that my sister had her Canon D-SLR with her was thoroughly exhilarating. For the first time, I properly held on in my hands and fiddled about with the manual settings and focus. I ain’t good at it (I hope I can say ‘yet’). But it felt amazing. There was like a charge in the atmosphere when I picked it up - not that my own little Powershot G10 isn’t loved but having my eye up to the camera, as though it was some mad extension of my dessert-hungry face, was pretty cool.

Maybe now I’m one of those cool kids with the d-slr and who traipse about knowing they’re all cool and shit with their cameras? Damn ‘em. I’m envious. Oh well, Powershot G10, you’re stuck with me for a long while now. And you’ve never let me down so I’m not unhappy about that. It was just wicked to feel a d-slr in my hands. Kinda like being taken up in a helicopter over a big city by some fancy rich guy ~ something I dream about but don’t really need at the end of the day.

Beautiful Matcha Mousse, Shirotama, Adzuki and Vanilla Ice Cream

I was whipped. The mousse was so matcha-ey with enough bitterness to send me flying. This is one dessert I’ll come back for.

Matcha Parfait - what a classic! - concoction of brown sugar syrup, custard, sponge cake, whipped cream, adzuki, matcha ice cream, what else? mmmm…all good.

The parfait was delicious! I loved the brown sugar syrup at the bottom of the glass. Not a tall glass, so not much to consume but just enough to make you wish you wanted more although you’re totally full up.

My time at home included loads more desserts like kakigori, homemade carrot cake, cookies, biscuits, chocolates, etc. It was a sweet Christmas. And a lovely way to end 2009.

Now, hello 2010. I’m confident that there’s more good sweet things to come. And the next time you hear from me, I’ll be back in London with twice the cravings and hopefully zero jet lag.